Erin happily bit into her fifth strawberry cookie, letting out a little moan of delight. “Oh my god! I swear this gets better with every bite.”
Emily grinned, looking pleased. “Glad you think so. I dug the recipe from an online site just yesterday and couldn’t wait to try it out. So far, it’s been a great hit with the guests.”
“It’s really good.” Erin popped the rest into her mouth and chewed in bliss for a few moments. She eyed the plate of cookies sitting on the kitchen counter, and decided one more wouldn’t hurt. She would worry about gaining a few pounds tomorrow. Today, she could gorge herself as much as she wanted and no one would judge her for it.
She perched on a high stool in an effort to rest her aching feet, marveling at how comfortable she already was with Ethan’s family. Once the awkwardness of first introductions had passed, the Lachlan’s had welcomed her into their midst and despite her earlier misgivings, Erin was thoroughly enjoying the afternoon. Martha had even conscripted Erin into manning one of the five refreshment tables in the garden. The huge stack of baked goodies had disappeared quickly and she’d nipped into the kitchen for more where Emily had asked her to try out the strawberry cookies.
The sound of male laughter filtered through the windows overlooking the garden and Erin leaned back so she could see outside. Her eyes followed the source of the laughter to the huge oak tree where the Lachlan men had gathered under the cool shade, talking. She easily picked Ethan from the group, since he stood facing her. He’d discarded his tie and jacket, rolled up the sleeves and undone the top button of his shirt, and Erin’s palms tingled with the longing to touch the base of his neck, to run her tongue over the smooth curve of his…
As though he could hear her lascivious thoughts, Ethan looked up and met her gaze.
Erin gasped in shock and nearly tumbled off her stool. She tore her gaze away and took a deep breath to calm her racing nerves. Oh boy! She needed to get a grip and stop lusting after a man who threatened her very peace of mind, though it was getting harder and harder to do that, especially now she’d seen a completely different side to the man she’d always assumed was hard and completely lacking in any warmth whatsoever.
It was quite shocking to see a different side of Ethan, one at odds with the tough, ruthless businessman image he usually presented. Watching him with his family and the kids seemed to make him all the more appealing…just that much sexier and it was messing with her resolve to avoid the dude.
Emily cleared her throat delicately and Erin looked up to see the knowing look. She blushed, embarrassed to be caught drooling over her brother. Well, it was about time she returned to her table anyway, she thought, grabbing the plate of cookies and made to slide off the stool.
“There’s no need to go running off just because I know you have the hots for Ethan.” Emily clucked her tongue, pulling another piping hot batch of cookies out of the oven. She set the tray on the counter to cool and looked Erin in the eye. “In fact, I’d be more worried if you weren’t drooling every time you looked his way.”
Oh dear god in heaven! Of all the most awkward moments, this one took the prize.
“I don’t…” she began but Emily cut her off with a wave.
“Oh don’t bother denying it Erin. And my brother…stubborn ass that he is sometimes… I can tell he’s attracted to you too and it’s a good thing.”
Oh she definitely agreed, one hundred percent as long as he relinquished those shares he’d stolen the company…maybe this could work. “So I take it you have no problem with Ethan dating his ex’s cousin?”
Emily shook her head and slid onto a nearby stool. “Not at all, it’s plain to see you’re different from Nicky… and the first time Ethan introduced your cousin to me in New York, I kinda knew they wouldn’t last long as a couple. Their chemistry was…..wrong somehow, you know? No offense.”
“None taken.” Erin sighed, idly drumming her fingers on the smooth marble. “Truth is, I felt the exact same way when I had dinner with them all those years ago.”
Her mind flashed back to that disastrous evening and she couldn’t help the little jolt of guilt that raced through her. Even though she hadn’t been directly responsible for the breakup, her conversation with Nicky that night had definitely changed things and sometimes, she wondered if she’d let her attraction for Ethan get in the way…because the truth was, from the moment she had laid eyes on Ethan Lachlan, she’d wanted him in a way that defied reason and sense.
“I’m not sure a relationship would work out between Ethan and I either.” Erin admitted with a shrug.
“And why not?”
“Well…for one thing, he hates my guts.” Erin laughed, the sound hollow and bleak. “I’m not sure if you already know, but he blames me for the split.”
Emily scoffed in disbelief. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Ethan doesn’t hate you…if anything I would say the way he’s been staring at you all day like you’re his favorite snack and he would love to….”
“Ok stop!” Erin held up a hand before Emily could go further. “That’s too weird.”
“What?” Emily’s eyes widened in mock innocence. “How is it weird?”
“I thought it was a pretty good description.”
For the second time that afternoon, Erin nearly fell off the stool. She whirled around to find Ethan leaning against the doorway, arms folded across his chest watching the both of them with raised brows, mouth quirked in a grin. Her face flamed in mortification as she wondered just how long he’d been standing there and how much he’d heard. Her gaze met his, mouth going dry as the smoldering heat in those twin blue orbs threatened to consume her.
“Shame on you Ethan!” Emily scolded, not in the least bit embarrassed at being caught. “You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on a private conversation.”
Ethan chuckled and moved further into the room, though his eyes never left Erin. “Have you forgotten Em? I have no shame.”
Erin opened her mouth to say something….anything, but all that came out was a small squeak. If only the ground would do her a favor and open up so she could crawl shamelessly into the abyss. Baring that, she needed to find another means of escape but the very source of her embarrassment had moved to stand directly behind her, effectively blocking any hope of escape.
“Oh that’s right, I guess I forgot.” Emily replied, her voice laced with generous amounts of sarcasm. “What are you doing in here anyway? Thought Mom had you on check collection duty.”
“I was hungry. And speaking of snacks….” His low tone brushed over her ears as he leaned in towards Erin, his eyes still holding hers with the same burning intensity. His hand reached out as if to touch her and her breath hitched, every nerve tensed in anticipation. Rather than touch her however, Ethan merely grabbed a cookie from the plate and flashed her a devilish grin, well aware of the effect he had on Erin.
“Cookies.” Ethan held up the snack in a mock toast and smirked at the look of pure loathing Erin levelled at him.
“I hope you choke on it.” Erin muttered under her breath, not caring how childish she sounded, all traces of nervousness and desire gone to be replaced with irritation. The devious man always knew exactly how to rile her and clearly enjoyed doing so at every given opportunity. She could feel Emily’s eyes eagerly devouring the exchange, no doubt so she could relate it to the rest of the family.
Ethan raised an eyebrow and shook his head in mock sadness. “You wound me Sweetcheeks. Such vile wishes for my well-being.” He placed a hand over his heart. “Don’t worry, I swear you’re still my favorite snack though this cookie comes a close second….”
Despite her irritation, Erin’s lips twitched in amusement. Much as the man brought out all her murderous instincts to the surface, she liked this easy side of Ethan so much more than the brooding, possessive jerk she knew too well. “You’re an idiot.”
“Yeah, it’s why you can’t get over me.” He replied with a lascivious wink. He leaned close and shoved the cookie to her mouth just as she opened it to deliver a scathing retort. Caught off guard, Erin had no option but to shut up and chew while glaring at him.
“There, that’s better.” Ethan chuckled, unfazed by the murderous glare and simply leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead, his lips cool against her heated skin.
She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry as his hands gently cradled her head, lips tracing a soft, tender kisses from her temple to her eyelids, lingering on the tip of her nose. Dimly, Erin heard Emily murmur something and the sound of retreating footsteps as she beat a hasty retreat, leaving Erin alone with Ethan and the smoldering swirls of desire in the kitchen.
With a moan, her arms circled his neck, her mouth seeking his own in a kiss that was sweet and tender. Erin opened her mouth to him and felt a shudder of need run through Ethan, as he deepened the kiss, hands leaving her face to twine around her waist, lifting her from the stool to mold her against his body, hands cupping her bottom to lift her against the throb of his erection. The kiss changed from exploratory to demanding, the hard thrust of his tongue setting an answering fire that started from her belly to pool in liquid heat between her legs. She arched against him, loving the feel of her breasts crushed beneath his hard chest, her nipples straining for his touch.
Ethan growled and began moving backwards, taking her staggering with him until his back hit a wall. In one swift move, he turned them so her back was against the cool wall, hands losing their grip on her bottom long enough to drag up the hem of her gown to bunch about her waist.
The feel of the cool wall against her bum was enough for a sliver of sense to pierce through. Her eyes fluttered open and she came to the realization that they were making out in his mother’s kitchen in a house full of kids no less and anyone could walk in and catch them…..and then her life as she knew it would be over.
She broke the kiss, the kitchen filled with the sounds of their harsh breathing as they both struggled to regain control.
“We….we…can’t Ethan…not here.”
He rested his head against hers and groaned in reluctant assent, though his hands still gripped her bottom…not that she wanted him to let go anyway.
After getting back some semblance of control, Ethan chuckled and released her, taking several steps until there was a decent amount of space between them Erin quickly tugged the gown back in place and ran shaky fingers through her hair in a vain effort. Her lips felt swollen from his kisses and she ran her tongue over them, trying to get her breathing back to normal.
Ethan watched her attempts, his hooded gaze still lingering on her mouth.
“You okay?” He asked. When she nodded in the affirmative he sighed and raked a hand through his hair then grinned. “I guess Emily’s right after all.”
“Huh?” Erin looked to him for an explanation.
“You are my favorite snack and I would like nothing more than to slowly devour your delectable body.” His gaze burned into hers, telling her he meant every word. “I want you so bad it’s driving me to distraction.”
Erin’s gaze softened at the confession. Lewdness aside, this was the closest Ethan had ever come to admitting his desire for her.
“I want you too, Ethan.” She replied.
He smiled, that boyish smile that tugged at her heartstrings.
“We could leave now if you like.” Then a thought occurred to him and he laughed. “I suppose I could drag you upstairs and have my wicked way with you, though I haven’t made out in my parents’ house since high school. The last time I tried it, I was in tenth grade and my mother caught me making out with Maggie Strider and made us scrub the den floor with a toothbrush. Fun times. ”
“I wonder what punishment she’ll mete out if she caught us.” Erin giggled at the image of the both of them scrubbing out the kitchen floor while Martha looked on in disapproval. “I think I would die of embarrassment first though.”
“I’d love nothing more than to see you scrubbing the kitchen, cute butt in the air while I try to think of ways to get my mother out of the kitchen so I can do you from behind.” He waggled his eyebrows at her in lewd suggestion.
“Ethan!” Erin tried to go for a reprimanding look but dissolved in a laughing fit instead. “If your mother could hear you now, she’d probably banish us from the house instead.”
“Not without giving me a tongue lashing first.” Ethan suppressed a brief shudder at the thought. “Trust me, you don’t want to get the end of my mother’s sharp tongue. She makes Hitler sound tame.”
“Martha?” Erin looked at him in disbelief. “No!”
“Oh don’t let her sweet face deceive you, my mother can put the fear of God into a person…” He trailed off at the sound of running footsteps approaching the kitchen followed by someone calling out.
“Uncle Ethan! Uncle Ethan! ... Uncle Ethan!”
Moments later, a small body launched itself at Ethan. With amazingly quick reflexes, Ethan caught his niece and hurled her over his head, eliciting another squeal of delight from the four year old. Erin recognized the little girl as Jared and Claire’s daughter, Sarah.
“Hey Shortbread! What’re you doing here?”
“Looking for you.” Sarah giggled, flashing a smile at her uncle. “Mommy says to come back to the garden and to stop hiding in the kitchen with Erin.” The little girl turned to include Erin in her statement, all the while beaming proudly at the responsibility of delivering a message then turned back to Ethan with a puzzled frown, “why are you guys hiding? Did you do something bad?”
Erin doubled over laughing at the innocent question. Oh dear! If only poor Sarah knew what they had been doing a few minutes ago, the poor baby would be scarred for life.
“No Shortbread, we didn’t do anything wrong.” Ethan replied, setting Sarah on his shoulders while she continued to giggle. “Let me guess, your mommy told you to yell out my name really loud before you got to the kitchen.”
Sarah nodded happily, “Mmmhmm… she said you might be busy so I should call out really loud.”
“Oh my god!” Erin breathed in disbelief. Her face flamed as she imagined the knowing looks they would be getting when they went back to the garden. No doubt, Emily must have told them just what she and Ethan were doing in the kitchen. Oh dear sweet lord in heaven…
Ethan placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’s ok, they’ll just tease us for a while, but they always mean well.”
“I know.” Erin swallowed convulsively then squared her shoulders in resolve. “I guess I can give as good as I get.”
Ethan chuckled. “As someone who’s experienced your barbs firsthand, I almost feel sorry for my siblings.”
*********
A thin sliver of moonlight peeked through the open blinds of Ethan’s bedroom, bathing Erin’s body in a silvery glow. Propped up on his elbows, Ethan traced idle patterns over her thigh while she slept on in blissful ignorance, exhausted from the day at the bake sale then an evening of mind-blowing sex.
At least it had been mind-blowing for him, Ethan amended with a wry smile, but he was willing to bet his company it’d been just as good for her too…if the way she’d screamed his name each time she came was any indication. Just thinking about it caused another stirring in his body but he shook his head…after all, he’d promised to let her sleep after she’d shattered in his arms for the umpteenth time. It was getting harder to ignore the feel of her soft bottom cupped against his hardening groin though.
With a sigh, he moved away and rose from the bed, putting on his boxers before heading out barefoot to the living room. He stopped to pick up the trail of hastily discarded clothing that littered the short hallway, grinning as he recalled just how those items had gotten to be there in the first place.
Ethan retraced his steps to the bedroom and dumped the clothes on a chair then walked back to the kitchen to pour himself a drink, his mind still on the sleeping woman in his bed.
God! But Erin had been spectacular. His thoughts filled with admiration as he remembered the cool way she’d handled his family’s ribbing, even tossing going so far as to reciprocate till she’d earned their admiration and grudging respect and the teasing had subsided into normal conversation. In such a short time, she’d captured their hearts, proving she was just that special type of woman who could handle anything…the same type of women his sisters-in-law Jodie and Claire were.
Too bad he wasn’t looking for that kind of relationship, otherwise Erin Gosling would have been perfect for him. But after Nicky, he’d sworn off long term relationships and commitments, content to take what his sexual partners offered and moving along. With Erin, he intended to enjoy her body just long enough to assuage his need. Feeling restless, he moved to the living room and picked up his laptop, determined to get some work done on the government contract his company was working on.
Erin shielded her eyes from the glare of the morning sun peeking through the blinds, her brain still fuddled from sleep. Yawning, she rolled over, and snuggled deeper under the covers, her nostrils filling up with the heady scent of Ethan’s male essence and the memories of the previous night came flooding back. Rather than the usual feelings of panic and self-loathing however, Erin felt…happy.
Who would have thought that the one man she had sworn to despise would be the same person she was slowly but surely falling for?
“Whoa!”
That last thought had her bolt upright, eyes wide in shock. She couldn’t be falling in love….no way! It was one thing to jump into bed with him but quite unacceptable to allow her emotions overtake simple logic and common sense. He was supposed to be her sworn enemy…ok…so maybe that was a bit extreme…but….
“Good morning.”
The very object of her thoughts stood in the doorway, watching her with an intensity that made Erin’s toes curl. Her eyes slid from his face to linger over his bare chest, her body heating in response to that delicious expanse of male perfection. Then she let her eyes travel lower, down to his narrow hips covered by his boxers.
Shame, Erin thought, licking her dry lips, desire for him flooding her all over again. She would love nothing more than to feast her shameless eyes on him all day.
“Morning.” She replied, stretching languidly, aware Ethan’s eyes were trained on her breasts. “Did I sleep long?”
Ethan chuckled.
“Long enough.” He moved to sit beside her, the bed dipping under his weight. He leaned close and brushed a strand of hair from her face, the sweet gesture tugging at something inside her. “You hungry?”
She was hungry, Erin realized with a grin. “Yep, starving.”
He smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’ll run down to the bakery across the street and get us something. Any preferences?”
“Coffee.” She replied promptly.
Ethan raised an eyebrow in query. “Just coffee? You can’t survive on only coffee.”
“Fine, fine…you can get me some sandwiches…and maybe a muffin.”
“Yes ma’am.” His eyes sparkled in mirth. He stood and crossed to the bathroom. Moments later, she heard the shower running and she lay back down, a silly smile on her face. God! But she loved this side of Ethan, maybe Emily was right and they could have a relationship of sorts after all.
*******
Still reeling from the hard kiss Ethan had given just before leaving, Erin sighed in contentment and burrowed under the covers, a silly smile plastered on her face.
“Oh boy! I could get used to this.” She giggled to herself, breathing in Ethan’s scent. “I really could.”
Her phone rang and she turned towards the object on the bedside table, puzzled because she couldn’t remember putting it there…matter of fact, she couldn’t remember much about undressing…only the feel of Ethan’s hands on her body, his mouth on hers doing things that had scrambled her brain.
The insistent ringing broke her thoughts and she reached for the phone. One glance at the screen and all color drained from her face.
“Shit!” Why would Nicky be calling this early? A glance at the screen showed the time to be seven am.
She hit the call button and instantly, Nicky’s frantic voice flooded her ears.
“Erin where the hell are you?” Her cousin sounded close to tears. “I went up to your apartment but you weren’t home and I don’t know what else to do…you need to get here now…please I….”
Panic shot through Erin. “Nicks…slow down, you need to calm down and I promise we’ll sort out whatever it is. But I need you to be calm and tell me what’s happened.”
“It’s…Ryan.” Nicky sniffed back tears. “We…we….had a fight…please come Erin.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes ok?” Erin shot from the bed and began hunting for her clothes. “Just stay cool and don’t do anything crazy.”
“Hurry.” Nicky whispered, her tone so heartbroken that Erin wished she could hold her. “I’ve done it again Erin…and I don’t know what I’ll do if he leaves me.”
Erin sighed and shut her eyes for a moment, all too aware of what Nicky was talking about. “Oh Nicks, you didn’t.”
She ended the call and found her clothes in a neat pile on a chair. Ethan must have placed them there while she slept and she took a minute to appreciate his thoughtfulness. She dressed quickly and hurried out the apartment, stopping only to scrawl an explanation on a piece of paper which she placed on the table by the front door.
As Erin shut the door, a small gust of air stirred the paper and it fluttered in the air for a moment before sliding out of sight under the low table.
The sight of Nicky’s tear streaked face when she opened the door drove every other thought from her mind.
“Oh Nicks!” Erin pulled her cousin into a comforting hug, while Nicky broke into fresh sobs. “Ssh..it’s okay, we’ll sort it out like last time….stop crying…”
“Ryan…he…he…caught…”
“Come, let’s sit Sweetie, then we can talk.” Erin led Nicky to the sofa and went to fetch a box of fresh tissues from the bathroom. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and winced at her scattered hair and kiss-swollen mouth. But she would worry about her appearance later, right now, she had to sort through this new mess Nicky had created.
She came back to the living room and sat beside her cousin, handing her the box of tissues. “Ok, tell me what happened.”
Nicky sniffed and stared down at her hands. “Ryan caught me cheating.”
Erin sighed. “Nicky….I thought you love Ryan, why cheat?”
“Because I was so scared.” Nicky jumped up and began pacing, shredding a tissue as she went.
“Last night, it just hit me…I was going to commit my life to him…everything about me would revolve around him and I was terrified Erin….I mean I was just sitting here, trying to have a quiet evening alone when I started having the exact same panic attack like I did with Ethan and I….I…just had to go out to get some air…and I somehow ended up in a bar and I had too much to drink and next thing I know…I wake up and there’s a man in my bed and Ryan’s standing over me yelling….oh Erin you should have seen how hurt and angry he was and….oh my god! I can’t lose him…I love him so much.”
Erin sighed again. At least this time Nicky was willing to admit she still loved her fiancée. She could clearly recall the fiasco five years ago, on their way back from having dinner with Ethan, Erin had tried to talk to Nicky about her misgivings with this new relationship with Ethan, but then her cousin told her something that had shocked her to the core…
She’d been cheating on Ethan…not just with one guy…no….Nicky had admitted she’d gotten into the habit of picking guys up from several bars and having casual sex. Shocked, Erin had confronted her cousin about lying to Ethan but she could clearly remember her cousin’s words.
“Oh come on Erin, it’s not like I even love Ethan. He’s just….convenient is all.”
“You have to help me talk to Ryan!” Nicky’s voice broke into Erin’s thoughts. “I need you to explain things to him, please.”
“I’ll see what I can do. But you have to do something for me.”
“What is it?”
Erin leveled a stern look at her cousin. “There will be no more picking up strange men Nicky…and so help me God, but if I ever find out you so much as let another man kiss you….”
Nicky nodded frantically. “It won’t happen again Erin, I promise.”